Opal Workshop

Welcome
to my Opal Workshop;
a place for those of you who are interested in what is being
planned next.... my creative
ideas and the steps involved in bringing that new creation
into completion - from an
idea to finished article to being launched onto our
website.

Discussion of the various stages of working with one of
my new creations - points of interest may arise or just
interesting points about opal in general which I will include along the
way !

I hope you enjoy my Opal Workshop Corner!

Cheers
.... Peter

Current
Opal Workshop Projects

Project
3

This project is
going to feature a stunning piece of Coober-Pedy Dark Crystal Gem
Opal
- exhibiting the glowing colors of a deep and beautiful sunset and
inlaying it into a beautiful piece of Gem Queensland Boulder Opal.

My intention is to carve the dark Gem Crystal Opal into the shape of a "leaf" -
( the straight line that can be seen in the opal's centre is simply a
line I drew to orientate the lay of the color play.)

The Boulder Opal is a beautifully patterned piece of Quilpie Gem Boulder Opal.

The brilliant emerald
greens showing in the photo will sit positioned at the
bottom, with the Cooberpedy Gem Opal being inlaid above, with the top
of the "leaf shape" being aligned towards the top of the apex.

The shape of this stunning pendant will be that of a Teardrop and will
measure approximately 23mm or 7/8" inch long.

The colors of the completed pendant will be a lovely
combination of emerald green, coppery reds and earthy yellows and
browns.

The next segment will show the finished
carved "leaf shape" of the Gem Crystal Opal, with it's
outline drawn onto the boulder opal gemstone - ready for the carving
process.

Here we have the piece of Dark
Crystal carved and shaped and I have now also
marked the outline of it onto the Boulder Opal.

The Boulder Opal
itself has been trimmed close to the final shape of how the
pendant will appear when completed.

Again, the carving out of the leaf
shape into the piece of Queensland boulder opal will be a
careful process, as I really am looking at making this as close a fit as possible
for the finished outcome to appear clean and
sharp.
( Nothing
like setting myself up here - I certainly hope all goes to plan !)

Anything else and it would look untidy.

Next update
will see the carving out process well underway in readiness for the
inlaying in of this beautiful piece of dark gem crystal opal.

Project
4

This project is going to become a "Heart"
Intarsia Pendant.

The first part of this project is to use a crystal green opal piece of
semi-black
opal as the "heart"
shape with a black leadlight
glass between it and the top piece of opal inlay.

This top inlay piece is
multicolour
crystal opal and is inlaid above the opal "heart" shape.

Both pieces of opal used here are from Lightning Ridge.

Here the shaping of the
"heart" has been completed and the top third of the heart
shape has been drawn onto the black leadlight glass.

Next step now is to carve
the leadlight glass for an exact fitting of
opal to glass.